washburn



(No Model.)

A. H. WASHBURN. ELECTRIC CURRENT REGULATOR AND DI$TRIBUTER.

N0. 564,951. Patented July 28, 1896.

gaaaa wwwwwgww MT E5555 fli m M1 wflww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. WASHBURN, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RALEIGH A. PERKINS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT REGULATOR AND DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,951, dated July 28, 1896.

Application filed May 22, 1896. Serial No. 592,665. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

'Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. WAsHBURN, of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented anew and useful Improvement in an Electric-Current Regulator and Distributer, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention is embodied in a device by which a number of lights in groups or singly and of difierent colors may be put in or cut out of circuit by groups or singly and the amount of current may be varied, and although the lamps are all in one system the groups are all under perfect and distinct control. same time, some being supplied with a full current and others with but a small or no current.

The device by which this is accomplished is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan showing my device in connection with a diagrammatical sketch, showing lamps in groups and also indicating the resistance device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my device.

In the drawings, A represents a base-piece made of slate,marble,or any suitable non-conductor.

l3 and C are cleats firmly attached to the base A. These should also'be of good nonconducting material.

D D D are strips of good conducting material as copper or brass, firmly connected to the base-piece A. Each one of these strips D D is connected to a resistance-box R R by wires WV W, as shown.

A conducting-bar or electrode G is mounted upon the two cleats B O and securely attached to the same. This bar G is connected by the wire G to one pole of the generator G, as shown.

The bars II I J K L are made similar to the bar G and are firmly attached to the cleats B C. All of the above-mentioned bars are attached to the cleats B O and are insulated from each other and from the resistance conductor-bars D D as shown in Fig. 2.

I am not confined to any system of electric- Any number may be regulated at the light arrangement, but for the sake of illustration Ihave grouped them as shown in the diagram-that is, I have five rows, six lamps in each row. I have designated the rows as first, second, third, fourth, and fifth. The lamps may be of any desired colors and arrangement of colors. All of the lamps are connected to the generator or line by the wires G G G2 G G G The groups are severally connected to the conductor-bars H I J K L by the wires II H I I J J K K and L L Each of the conductor-bars Gr II I J K L has upon it a sliding switch S, by means of which it may be put in electrical connection with any of the resistance conductor-bars D D.

I will now briefly state the manner of using my device. We will assume that the lamps in the third group are to be put in circuit and witha moderate amount of resistance. First, the switch S on the bar J is pushed over so as to rest on one of the resistance-bars, D for instance. Now the switch S on the conductor-bar G is placed upon one of the resistance-bars, D for instance. This will com plete the circuit from the lamps in the third group through wire G G generator G, wire G conductor-bar G resistance-bar D thence through a part of the resistance R, thence through wire W to bar D thence to bar J, wire J J 2 to lamps in third group.

It is evident that by using other switches any one of the groups may be put in circuit and with any amount of resistance or all of of the lamps may be put in at the same time or some may have great resistance and others small resistance. In fact all kinds of combinations may be made, giving any color or combinations of colors and any degree of intensity.

I claim- In an electric-current regulator and distributer, a series of insulated resistance-bars each connected with a resistance-box, a conductor'bar connected to the line and located at right angles to the said resistance-bars and adapted to be electrically connected with any of said resistance-bars by a switch, said switch, and a series of bars also at right angles to the said resistance-bars electrically name to this specification, in the presence of connected to the lamps as described each havtwo subscribing witnesses, 011 this 28th day ing a switch adapted to electrically connect of March, A. D. 1896.

with the said resistance-bars, a generator and ARTHUR H. WVASHBURN. 5 an electric circuit substantiallyas and for the \Vitncsscs:

purpose set forth. J OTT GRANT,

In testimony whereof I have signed my A. L. GREEN. 

